Sabah East Coast Begins Large-Scale Solar Project

Tawau will have additional supply of sustainable energy when a solar project is completed by 2026. State-owned Qhazanah Sabah Berhad (QSB) and Qhazanah Energy Sdn Bhd (QESB) have formed a strategic collaboration with a private entity, QSolar Tawau Sdn Bhd (QSolar), to construct the Tawau Q-Solar Large-Scale Solar (LSS) project on a 45-acre site in Kubota, Tawau. The LSS will generate 15 megawatts (MWac) of clean energy. The project is seen as a catalyst for changing the energy industry landscape in Sabah, and especially in the East Coast.

“We are not just looking to solve electricity supply issues, and especially in the East Coast, but we are striving to shape a cleaner, more stable, and resilient energy future,” Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on 2nd October 2025 at Kubota.

“This project will stabilise Sabah's grid system, which is presently overly reliant on diesel and natural gas-based generation. The LSS will reduce dependence on fuel, and balance energy distribution between the West Coast and East Coast.” The project will create economic spin-offs for the local community, through jobs, supporting services and supply chains. "Local youths will be offered with specific training programs to manage and maintain the solar operation and maintenance, thus ensuring a long-term local capacity," Hajiji added.

“The local workers will be exposed to opportunities including technology transfer and skill development in the green energy sector.” Energy industry analysts view the high-impact solar project as a major driver of energy stability in the Eastern region of the state and that the investment in green energy demonstrates the state government's ongoing commitment to providing a sustainable development ecosystem in line with efforts to make Sabah a leader in renewable energy. Economists said that the implementation of this project aligns with the state energy master plan, the Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan (SERAMP), which serves as the long-term framework for the transformation of Sabah's energy sector.

Datuk Haji Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, delivered the CM’s speech.